Vicki Heyman finding a new outlet for community and charitable work as wife of U.S. ambassador to Canada

OTTAWA — When the new U.S. ambassador and his wife host about 3,000 diplomats, politicians and other guests Friday for a July 4 party at their Rockcliffe Park residence, Vicki Heyman may garner even more attention than her husband.

The noted philanthropist and community builder in Chicago, who has dedicated time to the local children’s hospital, social-innovation projects and helping kids on the city’s rugged south side, is arguably as well-known there as her spouse: Bruce Heyman, an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, who was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to Canada in March.

The couple played an important role in Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency. Now, their partnership has taken them to north of the border, where Ms. Heyman is breathing new life into the job of the U.S. ambassador’s spouse. ­

The self-described “southern girl” who was raised in Kentucky says she isn’t letting her new position as wife of a high-profile diplomat constrain her philanthropic interests or dedication to arts and culture.

“I’ve never been a person that really followed a conventional path, in terms of where my career has gone or where my interests have gone,” she said.

“I look at this space that I’m in as the spouse of the U.S. ambassador as a really open platform. I have an opportunity to lead on the things I’m passionate about, that I can impact on, that I care about and I really see no obstacles.”

With her husband, the 57-year-old has taken to Twitter and YouTube to talk to Canadians and share their experiences of travelling across the country. They recently completed a trip from Vancouver to Halifax, featuring stops in seven provinces and more than a dozen cities.

“I think she’s more popular than I am,” Mr. Heyman said. “The reality is we both find different spaces and different times to take lead roles.”

The Heymans first met President Obama, then an Illinois senator, in 2006 at a small dinner party in Chicago.

Neither of them was much involved in politics — they were busy with their careers and charitable work.

“But we met our senator, spent some time talking with him, had been reflecting on the world we wanted to live in and the changes we thought needed to be made in our country, and we heard him speak, and kind of looked at each other after the dinner party, and said, ‘Wow, the vision, the leadership that this man is exhibiting,'” Ms. Heyman recalled.

“His vision is something that we felt very simpatico with. And we thought, given the opportunity, if he threw his hat in the ring, we would be there, we wanted to help support him in his efforts to run for president.”

Inspired by what Mr. Obama had to say, she became a key member of his 2008 and 2012 national finances committees and, with her husband, an important fundraiser.

The result: Canadians have gained a diplomatic duo connected to the Oval Office.

But Ms. Heyman is focused on philanthropy and community building. She champions health, education, arts and other charitable causes in the United States — and now north of the border — part of what she calls a “cross-border cultural exchange.”

During the couple’s recent visit to Edmonton, they met artists involved with the iHuman Youth Society, which works with traumatized youth, including many aboriginals. It uses arts-based programs to help create a sense of community and build confidence.

That community spirit and the challenges faced by the youth reminded Ms. Heyman of her work on Chicago’s South Side, so much so she has connected iHuman’s director with the director of a similar program there.

“The middle of Edmonton and the south side of Chicago, there’s so many parallels,” she said. “There’s social ills that exist in places, there’s wonderful stories to triumph and to champion.”

Her connection to Canada dates back more than a century, when her paternal great-grandparents emigrated from Russia, eventually settling in Toronto. Her grandparents later moved the United States.

The Heymans are to fully immerse themselves in Canadian culture and have a personal goal of learning French during their posting.

“It would be great to challenge ourselves to at least be proficient before we leave here,” Ms. Heyman said.